3 female ducks used to be close friends – now one is kicked out of the clique & lonely :(

[kiwibird143]

A couple months ago, I added 3 new female Muscovy ducks to my flock. The lonesome duck now in question, DW, first arrived as alpha, but she's quickly plummeted to the bottom of the hierarchy amidst the total flock of 7 I have (3 chicken hens, 1 duck drake, then these 3 duck ladies).

I can tell it's been really stressing her out. She isn't allowed to hang out with her sister ducks anymore. She gets aggressively harassed by the drake. She fights with the chicken hens, especially if she's laying on eggs. She wasn't handled by humans much at her last house, so she's always been very cautious, anxious & even territorial with me. The birds all free range and she mostly hangs by herself. She's often bullied from drinking, eating, or bathing.

This might be far-fetched, but is there any way to help sweet little DW out? Perhaps assist in helping her feel loved, supported, included? I know much of these behaviors are natural, but my heart feels for her!

Thanks <3

 

[nuthatched]

Get more ducks? She'll learn her place soon and she'll adapt.

 

[KaleIAm]

I also care about my ducks emotional lives, so I know where you are coming from.

My flock has usually been harmonious, but there have been times when I have had pecking order issues. Eventually they work it out, but it is very stressful and upsetting. I make sure that I put out extra water buckets and food bowls, and space them several feet away from each other. This way the picked on duck can get resources when they get chased away.

If it gets really bad you could consider separating them. Perhaps taking your most submissive duck and your picked on duck and putting them in their own area. A lot of people make sure that their separated ducks can still see each other by putting up a barrier with fencing.

 

[kiwibird143]

Get more ducks? She'll learn her place soon and she'll adapt.

I currently don't have the set up for more adult ducks. But she has been broody and wanting to hatch eggs. I've been curious if allowing her to be a mother would help the cause, or at least her happiness at all.

 

[kiwibird143]

I also care about my ducks emotional lives, so I know where you are coming from.

My flock has usually been harmonious, but there have been times when I have had pecking order issues. Eventually they work it out, but it is very stressful and upsetting. I make sure that I put out extra water buckets and food bowls, and space them several feet away from each other. This way the picked on duck can get resources when they get chased away.

If it gets really bad you could consider separating them. Perhaps taking your most submissive duck and your picked on duck and putting them in their own area. A lot of people make sure that their separated ducks can still see each other by putting up a barrier with fencing.

Thank you for this response <3

Yeah, I've seen improvements when I separate food / water, and could certainly do that more often & proactively. Thanks for this reminder & affirmation.

I've also heard separation to be helpful. I currently don't have an easy set-up for that, and I plan on moving homes in 3-5 months, so I'll consider that at my next location.

For now, I'm trying my best to make sure she has what she needs. I saw her today start to initiate aggression towards her 2 sister ducks, so I'm curious if she's attempting to re-establish authority. We'll see <3

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she’s broody that can cause relationship problems. I have a broody Muscovy sitting on nothing and you ought to see her sisters when she comes out to eat. They scatter. They know she is cranky and they want no part of it

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I agree if she's broody that's probably the bulk of your problem right there. They separate for a bit and they can get into scuffles with the others, but once the broodiness breaks they usually go back to be friends with everyone else.